waring



(Na Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. B ARING. DESK Patented Jan. 28, 1890.

7. PETERS. FIwSo-Uihaghphar. Wnhingt on, D. Q

UNITED STATES FRED E. YVARING, OF SARATOGA, NEXV YORK.

VDESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,321, dated January28, 1890. Application filed April 22, 1889- Serial No. 308,140. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED E. WARING, of

' Saratoga, in the county of Saratoga, State of New .York, have inventeda'certain new and useful Improvement in Desks, of which the following isa description sufliciently full, clear, and exact toenable any personskilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make.and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a rearelevation of my improved desk, showing the cover closed, a portion ofthe body being broken away; Fig. 2, a like view showing the cover openFig. 3, a similar view, the body being detached from the legs; Fig. 4, aperspective view of the desk with the cover open and 'one' of thedrawersections in position; Fig 5, a like view showing bothdrawer-sections and the pigeon-hole case in position; Fig. 6, aperspective view, enlarged, of the carriage for the cover-ribs; Fig. 7,a like view of the carriage-hinge; Fig. 8, an enlarged view of thecover-rim detached;

Fig. 9, a likewiew of the outer cover-ribs,

Fig. 10,'a sectional view of the top of, the desk, showing position ofthe cover-rim; Fig. 11, an enlarged vertical transverse section of thebody of the desk, the cover represented aspartially open. Fig. 12, aperspective view of one of the drawer-sections detached; 'and Figs. 18,14:, 15, 16, 17, and 18, sectional views illustrating details ofconstruction.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts inthe different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of desks which are constructed indetachable sections, whereby several difierent patterns may be formedfrom the same body; and it consists in certain novel features, ashereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce asimple, cheap, and eifective device of this character.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understoodby all con-' versant with such matters from. the following explanation.

In the drawlngs, A represents the body of the desk; B, the coverconsidered as awhole;

O, the legs; D E, the drawer-sections, and F the pigeon-hole section.

The body A isrectangular in form, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) and is providedcentrally with a drawer Z). (See Figs. 4 and 11.) Thecorners of the bodyarerounded. v

The legs 0 are provided with casters, and in their upper ends have asocket d, (see Fig. 3,) to receive a screw or pin f at each corner ofthe body A, by which they are detachably secured thereto. An ordinaryspring-lock g is disposed in the top h of the body near the forward edgeand is adapted to receive a loop-pin t' on the rim 7.: of the cover vB,hereinafter described.

:The drawer-sections DE consist of inclosed cases havingdrawers j, andof such s ze that when the body A is in position thereon a foot-space I(see Fig. 5) will be left between them. Each drawer-section has two'socketslor openings m (see'Fig. 12) to receive the pins or screws f onthe desk-body and two centrally-disposed screws 11, whereby it issecured to said body. Onev or... both of the drawer-sections can beattached. to the body (see Figs. 4 and 5) byremoving the legs (J fromeither endthereoff and inserting the pins f in the sockets m of saidsections, as described. A. coverfslot q is formed in the top h (see Fig.10) and extends around the rear half'thereof, the inner edge of saidslot being rabbeted at?" to receive the coverfrim 1c.

The pigeon-hole section F is of the shape of a quarter-sectorin endelevation and of such size that it maybe disposed on the desktopbet-ween the ends of the cover-slot, as shown in Fig. 5. The section isdivided into drawers and compartments, as desired, and is flattened at ton its top (see Fig. 18). to. form a shelf. A sectoral leaf o (see Fig.18) is piv-v oted at to at each end of the section F,, sothat it may beturned onto the desk-top,,'afs""ho wn by dotted lines in Fig. 5, andform a side The cover 13 consists of a series of flat't'ijbs' inposition therein.

to the slot q in the desk-top, and are provided with slots 20 andopenings 21 at their ends, in which loops of cord or wire 22 aredisposed for holding-said ribs together. -A rod 23, (see Figs. 1 to 3,)of the same general shape as the ribs, is hinged at 24 within the bodyA, its free ends being connected to the ribs by the loops 22. disposedaround the rod 23, one end being se cured theretoand the other to'thebottom 26 of the body, said spring acting torsionally'to force the freeends of the rod downward toward said body. The rim k is adapted to fitthe slot q in the desk-top and rest on the rabbet 7* thereof, forming asmoothsurface to said top (see Figs. 2 and 3) when the cover is open.The rim k has its under edge 27 turned inward, (see Fig. 8,) forming agroove to receive the first or outer rib 28,. (shown in Fig. 9,) saidrib being rectangular in cross-' section and having its endssufficiently long to project beyond the ends of the rim is when The endsof the rib 28 are beveled at 29, and said rib is connected with thesucceeding ribs in the series by the loops 22. g

The rib-carriage H (see Fig. 6) comprises a semicircular body portion30, provided on its edge with a semi-annular groove 31, in which thebeveled ends 29 of the. first rib 28 (see Fig. work. A track 32 isformed at the edge of the groove 31, on which the slotted ends of theribs as (see Fig. 15) travel. A semicircular guard plate or flange 33 isformed on the outer face of the carriage to conceal the ends of the ribswhen in use. Projecting centrally from the strongest portion 34 of thebody are two ears or lugs 35, provided with pivot-holes The body 30 iscut away vertically at one side, the cars 35 forming a socket 37. Eachend of the rim is is screwed to the strongest portion 34 of the body 30atv 38.

The hinge K, Fig. 7, has a body portion39, provided with screw-holes 40,by which it is secured to the inner face of the end walls 41 of thedesk-body just. below theendsof the slot q. A vertical arm 42 is formedon the hinge, adapted to be inserted between the ears 35 of thecarriage'H, and is provided with a hole 43, which will register withthose in said ears, whereby the carriage may be pivoted to said hinge. Ahorizontally-arranged rectangular arm 44 is formed on the hingebody 39,which enters the socket 37 in. the carriage H when the cover is open,said carriage being then in the position shown in Fig. 6. Y

A tension mechanism M (see Figs. 13 and 14) for the coveringz consistsof a longitudinally-arranged bar 45, (see Figs. 3 and 14,) which isadjustably secured on a verticallyinclined supporting-plate 46, Fig. 11,by means of slots 47 in said bar and screws 48, passing through saidslots into the support. The

A coiled tension-spring '25 is lower edgeof the material z of the coveris Hsecuredtothe bar 45,;and a thumb-screw 50 passes through the bottom26 of the deskbody into the slots 47, its point being in engagement withthe screw 48.

. .In the'use of my improvement, when the cover is open, as shownin'Fig. 2, it is concealed in the desk-body, the flexible covering 2permitting the ribs to lie flatly against each other and the rim isentirely filling the slot 1. By grasping the loop-pin i on the rim isthe cover maybe withdrawn from the body, the

ends of its" ribs m traveling on the'circular track 32 of the carriageH, and said carriage at the same time being moved on the hinge K, therim-1c being fastened thereto. The first rib 28, projecting into .thegroove 31, as described, serves as aguide for the succeeding ribs of theseries. When the cover is closed, the straight edge of the carriage Hrests on the top of thetable, as shown in Fig. 1. Should the material 2of the cover becomestretched or loosened, by turning the thumb-screws50, and thereby withdrawing the bar 45, the slack maybe taken up.

It will. readily be seen that by constructing the desk in sections, asdescribed, numerous styles may be supplied bya dealer employing the samebody. The pigeon-hole section may be entirely omitted, if desired, thusaffording an unobstructed top for the desk.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is 1. In a desk of thecharacter described, a body provided with a cover-slot in its top,detachable legs on said body, a collapsible cover comprising ribscoyered with flexible material and adapted to pass through said slotinto said body, and a rim on said cover filling said slot when the coveris opened and attached to a semicircular rib-carriage hinged to saidbody, substantially as described.

2. In a desk, the body A, provided with the slot q, in combination withhinges K, carriages H, pivoted to said hinges, and the cover B,comprising the ribs @028, covering ,2, and rim is, arranged to operatesubstantially as described.

3. Ina desk,abody provided with a coverslot, in combination with acollapsible cover comprising semicircular rib-carriages hinged to saidbody at the ends of said slot, a series of ribs covered with flexiblematerial, and a rim secured to said carriages, said ribs being connectedtogether and with said rim, their lower ends being fitted to work in asemi annular track in said carriage, substantially as described.

4. In a desk, the body A, provided with the rabbeted slot q, incombination with the hinges K, carriages H, pivoted thereto and havingthe track 32, and the cover B, comprising the rim is, secured to saidcarriages, and ribs 0:, provided with the flexible covering .2,substantially as described.

5. In a desk, the combination of a body, dovetail blocks detachablysecured to the top thereof, and a pigeon-hole case havinglaterally-arranged dovetail grooves in its'bottom adapted to receivesaid blocks, a flattened portion, as t, and pivoted end leaves, as '0,substantially as described.

6. In a desk, the hingeJK, having thearm 42 and block 44,'in combinationwith the carriage H, provided with the ears 35, socket 37, semiannulargroove 31, track 32', ribs 00, and rim It, said ears being pivoted tosaid arm, substantially as and for the pnrposeset forth.

7 The hinge K, in combination With the carriage H, pivot-ed thereto, therim k, having the groove 27 the rib 28, having beveled ends 29,- theribs a connected with the rib 2S, and the covering a, all being arrangedto operate substantially as described;

8. In a desk, a body provided with a rab- Joeted cover-slot, a lock, anddetachable legs,

in combination with a cover comprising .ribs' adapted to enter said slotand'a rirn adapted to closethe "same, said rim being secured tosemicircular carriages having semi-annular tracks for the cover-ribs andpivoted to hinges onsaid'body, a flexible covering for said ribs, and atension mechanism for said covering, substantiallyas described. s

9. In a desk, the body 'A, provided with the rabbet-ed groove q and pinsf, in combination with thelegs C,the' rod 23,hinged in said body, thespring 25,and the cover 13," provided with the rim 7c and carriages H,pivoted to hinges K on said body, all being arranged to operatesubstantially as described.

10. A collapsible cover for desks of the character described,consistingof a series of semirectangular ribs loosely connected by cords at theirends, their tops being connected by a fiexibleicovering, andsemicircular carriages pivoted to' hinges adapted to-besecured to thedesk,* said carriages being provided with semi-annular tracks for theends of the ribs,

the upper or outer rib being secured to said carriages at the end ofsaid tracks, substantially as described. u

j 11; The body A, provided. with p the slot q and brace .46, incombination withthe bar 45, provided with the slots 47, the screws 48and 50, and the cover B, hinged to said body and provided with theflexible covering 2, secured to said bar, substantially as described.

FRED E. WARING: Witnesses:

" OJ M. SHAW,

KJDURFEE.

